My New Year’s Resolution is to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of up to Thirty Items so I can Travel Light with Only a Carry-on Bag and a Personal Item

Here are the initial successes and challenges I’m facing on my journey to curate a versatile and simplified year-round capsule wardrobe

In 2021, my resolution was to only own clothes I felt comfortable and confident in. In 2022, it was to not buy any clothing (which I didn’t do — YET for every new item I got, I sold, exchanged, or donated another one).

Now in 2023, my goal is to delimit my wardrobe to 30 items so I can travel with only a carry-on bag and a personal item.

To this end, I’m planning to simplify my wardrobe with versatile, year-round pieces — or what many people refer to as a capsule wardrobe.

A capsule wardrobe is a small assortment of clothes that you love, they all fit, they all go together, and you wear each and every one. Simple as that. — Amanda O’Bryan

When selecting what pieces to keep or add to capsule wardrobes, many practitioners like Iris B. Stehn recommend getting “what fits, pleases, and matches.” I’m going a step further and keeping or adding only that which matches my values.

“Spending based on your values means making choices that reflect what is important to you.” — Maia Monell

The values that guide my wardrobe choices are effortlessness, comfort, functionality, and versatility; and they make dressing up in the morning an easy feat. Read how these values translate into my wardrobe here:

designing your lifestyle includes a combination of letting go of things that don’t matter while moving towards things that do matter. You’re expanding your perspective with discoveries, then synthesizing with greater clarity. — Alice Crady

When it comes to decluttering, Charlie Brown argues that “There’s no point in throwing out clothes you like just because they don’t fit in a capsule wardrobe concept.”

I agree — while I may not include everything I like in my wardrobe, that doesn’t mean I get rid of everything, either. Instead, I keep and switch items for other garments now and then. This allows me to “shop from my closet” whenever I have a significant lifestyle change.

Sometimes, neither my capsule wardrobe nor my closet has an item I want. In those situations, I try to buy at thrift shops first, and at retail stores second.

Like Charlie Brown shares, thrifting “limits what you can buy” as “not everything will be in your size or color.” Such limitations help me be more intentional when shopping for clothes.

To make the most bang for my buck, I exchange clothes I no longer use via thrifting, use Honey to track price drops, Rakuten to search for discounts, and shop for clothes only during big sale events (such as Singles Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day).

As you may tell by my use of present tense, I’m approaching building a capsule wardrobe as an ongoing practice.

This entails a lot of Pinterest research and active experimentation to avoid last-minute impulse buys, work out my styling muscles, and learn to rely on my own opinions.

Despite succeeding in building a 30-item capsule wardrobe, I’m unsure whether I’ll actually be able to travel with only a carry-on bag and a personal item.

I can’t seem to pair down the amount of thermal, exercise, pajama, and underwear items I have — and I don’t think I want to, either.

Have you tried simplifying your wardrobe? What was your experience like?

I am always excited to learn from fellow writers and readers!